Monday, January 30, 2012

I have a new hydrangea plant which has bloomed. Should I "dead head" it at this time?

It's always O.K. to deadhead. In the late summer and fall though, you want to leave as much foliage on the plant as possible. Plants store winter hardiness by processes going on in the leaves now, so just remove the spent flowers.

I have a new hydrangea plant which has bloomed. Should I "dead head" it at this time?
yes definitely
Reply:Carefully pinch off the old blooms so the plant has more energy.
Reply:hydrangeas are one of the best flowers for drying.they can be used in a dried flower arrangment.as mentioned earlier,they flower on old wood,meanig todays flower are on last years growth.when pruning only cut to the next bud.you can change the color of the flower by changing the alkelinity and the acidic levels in the soil.the more acidic the bluer the flower,the less acidic the more purple.of course a pee gee hydrangea is white.dead heading is more for annuals.though deadheading perenials will bring on extra blooms.there is also a hydrangea vine that flowers are similiar to lace hydrangea.it is a great screening vine because it stays full,with leaves and growth,right down to the ground.good luck and may your thumb stay green.
Reply:It's your choice, because it won't effect the health of the plant at all. If the dried blooms are unattractive, you can cut just the old flower head off. Don't cut any more than that or you will risk next year's flowers because almost all hydrangeas bloom on the previous year's growth. That means that the dormant little flower buds are in hiding just below where this year's blooms were. There is a new hydrangea called Endless Summer that blooms on old and new wood, but that's pretty unique in the hydrangea world.

For annual flowers, deadheading prolongs bloom because it prevents the plant from setting seed. But hydrangeas will not rebloom (except for Endless Summer) so that's not a consideration. (And, by the way, hydrangeas are woody shrubs, not bulbs; an earlier answer was a bit confused.) In colder climates, people often leave the old flowers on hydrangeas, because the cold zaps the tips of the plants, so the old flowers protect the next year's buds.

So unless you live in an area with harsh winters, do what looks best to you - just don't take too much off.
Reply:Yes, therefore it can put its energy into the bulb and making baby bulbs.

ben

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